1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to decorative lighting in general, and more particularly to the coupling of a lighting fixture to a support.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are already known various constructions of lighting fixtures and of arrangements for supporting the same in a selected position at any chosen location. One previously proposed structure of this kind is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,447 to Taylor, wherein a stake to be driven into the ground is provided at its above-ground trailing end portion with a casing that fully accommodates the socket of the lighting fixture. The casing has a lateral aperture through which the socket is introduced into the interior of the casing, and a pair of slot-like cutouts that open into this aperture and are positioned and dimensioned for very loosely receiving the electrical wires that are connected to the socket.
One disadvantage of this known arrangement is that the casing substantially hides the socket from view, so that only the light bulb whose base is threaded into the socket through an access opening is visible above the casing. While this is consistent with the widely held perception that lighting arrangements of this kind have to be reminiscent to the greatest possible extent of candles in order to invoke the desired festive mood, experience has shown that such a pretense is unacceptable to many people or at least considered unnecessary by them.
Another disadvantage is that the stake is capable of cooperating or supporting only that kind of lighting fixture for which it has been designed and no other. Yet, there is often a desire to intersperse lighting fixtures of one kind with those of another kind in a series or row of such fixtures. This is impossible to do when the stake is incapable of supporting such different lighting fixtures.
On the other hand, there are also known various arrangements for coupling and/or latching various detachable elements, for example toothbrushes, to supports in the form of handles, or of devices for driving or vibrating such detachable elements. Examples of coupling arrangements of this sort can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,256,031 to Fillweber; U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,040 to Towsley; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,735 to Hansen, et al. None of these references suggests that the coupling arrangements disclosed therein could or should be used in conjunction with lighting fixtures and, in any event, very substantial modifications would be needed before the principles disclosed there could be used in such an application.
Moreover, star-shaped articles for decorative or other uses are disclosed, for instance, in the U.S. Pat. No. 1,910,247 to Heltzel, U.S. Pat. No. 3,663, 342 to Landwehr, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,367 to Korb. Only the latter reference discloses the use of lights in conjunction with a star-shaped structure, but only in the context of placing a multitude of lights on a frame of that configuration.